Billy Budd is an opera by Benjamin Britten from a libretto
by E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, based on the short novel Billy Budd by Herman
Melville. It was first performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
on 1 December 1951.It premiered in the United States in 1952 in a production
by the Indiana University Opera Company, and has become part of the repertory of
the New York Metropolitan Opera.

The production of Wiener
Staatsoper, Gmbh, 2001 Sets and Costumes produced by ART for ART
Theaterservice, Gmbh, Vienna

Billy Budd
is performed at the Mikhailovsky Theatre by permission
of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Limited, London

Billy Budd will be presented in Russia
for the first time. The opera is one of the most important works
in the musical legacy of Benjamin Britten, whose centenary will
be celebrated in 2013.

The libretto is based
on Herman Melville’s novella about events on board HMS
Bellipotent. There are 20 characters in the opera, all
of them men. In the stifling atmosphere of the ship and the
strict regulations of this ‘male’ world, there is an increasing
sense of unease which suddenly explodes into a thunderous drama. The
sailor Billy Budd is a favourite with the crew; Claggart, the ship’s
Master-at-Arms, cultivates feelings for the simple-hearted youth that frighten
him. Powerless to cope with these feelings, he incites the young
sailor to take part in a mutiny and, when Billy refuses, Claggart
slanders him. This anxiety makes Billy stammer; unable to speak out and
plead his innocence, he strikes Claggart in fury, a blow which
turns out to be fatal. Captain Vere has no choice but
to sentence the sailor to hang, even though the decision brings him
great moral suffering. The crew wants to free Billy by force, but the
young sailor is convinced that the captain should be forgiven, and the
mutiny subsides.

In presenting Britten’s opera to the Russian
public, the Mikhailovsky Theatre is recreating the Vienna State Opera’s
production of 2001.

Synopsis

PrologueCaptain Edward Fairfax Vere, an old man, reflects on his
life and his time in the navy. He reflects on the conflict between good and
evil, he is tormented by guilt over the case of Billy Budd on board his ship,
HMS Indomitable, some years earlier.Act 1The crew of
the Indomitable works on deck. For slipping and bumping into an officer, the
Novice is sentenced to be flogged. At the same time a cutter approaches,
returning from a merchant ship where it has pressed three sailors into England's
Navy.One of these sailors, Billy Budd, seems overjoyed with his situation -
entirely different from the other two who are not so happy. Claggart, the
Master-at-Arms, calls him "a find in a thousand," despite the slight defect of a
stammer. Billy says a jaunty farewell to the Rights o' Man, his former ship,
innocent of what his words imply. The officers take his words as a deliberate
provocation and order the men below decks. Claggart tells Squeak, the ship's
corporal, to keep an eye on Billy and give him a rough time.The Novice
returns from his flogging, unable to walk and helped along by a friend. Billy is
shocked at the cruelty of the punishment, but is certain that if he follows the
rules he will be in no danger. Dansker, an old sailor, nicknames Billy "Baby
Budd" for his innocence.At this point in the four-act version came the
climax of Act I, in which Captain Vere appeared on deck to give a speech to the
men. In the two-act version, Dansker simply tells the others Vere's nickname,
"Starry Vere," and this is enough for the impulsive Billy to swear his loyalty
to the unseen captain.In his cabin, Captain Vere muses over classical
literature. His officers enter, and they discuss the revolution in France and
the mutinies in the British Navy sparked by French ideas of democracy. The
officers warn that Billy may cause trouble, but Vere dismisses their fears and
expresses his love for the men under his command.Below decks the sailors
rough-house, but old Dansker remains gloomy. Billy goes for some tobacco to
cheer him up, and discovers Squeak rifling through his kit. In a rage, Billy
begins to stammer. He knocks Squeak to the ground as Claggart and the corporals
enter. Billy is still unable to speak, but Claggart takes his side and sends
Squeak to the brig. However, when alone, Claggart reveals his hatred for Billy
and vows to destroy him. He orders the Novice to try to bribe Billy into joining
a mutiny, and the broken-spirited Novice quickly agrees. Billy refuses the bribe
and believes he will be rewarded, but Dansker warns him to beware of
Claggart.Act 2Claggart begins to tell Vere about the
danger that Billy represents, but is interrupted by the sighting of a French
ship. The Indomitable attacks, but loses the enemy in the mist. Claggart
returns, and tells Vere that Billy poses a threat of mutiny. Vere does not
believe him and sends for Billy so that Claggart may confront him.Later, in
Vere's cabin, Claggart repeats the false charge to Billy's face. Once again,
Billy begins to stammer in rage. Unable to speak, he strikes Claggart, killing
him. The Captain is forced to convene an immediate court-martial, and the
officers find Billy guilty and sentence him to hang. Billy begs Vere to save
him, and the officers appeal to him for guidance, but Vere remains silent and
accepts their verdict. He goes into the cabin where Billy is being held, and the
orchestra suggests a tender offstage meeting as the captain informs Billy of the
death sentence. This was the end of Act 3 in the four-act version.Billy
prepares for his execution in his cell. Dansker brings him a drink and reveals
that the crew is willing to mutiny for his sake, but Billy is resigned to his
fate. Four o'clock that morning, the crew assembles on deck, and Billy is
brought out. The Articles of War are read, and show that Billy must be hanged.
Just before his execution, he praises Vere with his final words, singing "Starry
Vere, God Bless you!" echoed by the rest of the crew.EpilogueVere, as an
old man, remembers Billy's burial at sea, reflecting that the man he failed to
save has instead blessed and saved him. As he recalls Billy's blessing, he
realises he has discovered genuine goodness and can be at peace with
himself.